The Deans have built strong relationships with the artists they collect, allowing them access to primo works that would otherwise be held for the world’s greatest collections. Nicola Vassell, who was the curatorial director of the collection for years and now has her own gallery in Chelsea, attributed their ability to build a world-class collection to “the trust and love that the artists have for them.”
Currently at the Brooklyn Museum, 'Giants: Art From the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys' showcases nearly 100 artworks, representing about a third of the couple’s total holdings. Zohra Opoku is featured alongside other notable contemporary artists in the exhibition, such as Henry Taylor, Deana Lawson, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Mickalene Thomas, Jordan Casteel, Odili Donald Odita, and Derrick Adams.
Excerpted words written by Nate Freeman in Vanity Fair.
